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Comments
In terms of the Pro, can't you buy the extended warranty anytime after you purchase the car? I thought someone had mentioned that before...If so, why don't you get that Larry?
Also, I did have a little trouble with my 1999 automatic tranny and the 2001 as well. In the 1999, it started shifting weirdly when passing (like it was trying to slip), but no problem was found. I traded the car at 37.5K, so I don't know what happend to it. On the 2001, there was this loud-pitched squeaking sound when shifting sometimes. Mazda themselves told me they didn't know what it was.
Dinu: The Protege tranny is NOT the same one from the 626. Rest easy. It's a totally different piece. I thought the same thing as you, and checked extensively before purchasing my 2001 (I have at least 5 co-workers who lost 4-cyl. 626 trannies over the years). So it's all Mazda in there.
Let all the prospective buyers know how great our little Protege is!
Meade
Best Buy just ran a sale where you buy one pair of speakers and get the second pair at half price. The timing was great. I went there last night and listened to everything and settled on new 6x9s for the rear: Rockford Fosgate 2269 models. They came out in 2001. They sounded better to me anyay, than anything else they had. And, they had a special where they would install them for free! The Gods are smiling! For the fronts I went with the Pioneer 6867. I had intended to buy the next model up but these actually sounded better to me. All in all the 4 speaker set was under $190. They'll be installed this Saturday.
It was a good lesson. I had done my research through Crutchfield to see what fit and made my list based upon specs alone. But when I got there and listend to the sound, my choices changed. I know the store vs. the car are 2 different sound stages, but, I'm confident I'll be much happier. I'm no audiophile and I didn't have a single Rockford Fosgate speaker on my list, but listening changed my mind. I'll post next week and let you all know whether I'm happy or not.
Ron B.
Must...Drink...the KoolAid.
You guys are too much.
twist
EVERYBODY knows sharks taste better with cocktail sauce!!!
Meade
Our 93 Civic had 128,000 miles when we bought it ...we put $600 in the car for tires, a timing belt, and a valve adjustment. We have since put 13,000 miles on the car in 10 months and have only had to change the oil and put gas in it. So since we paid $3000 for it our total cost was $3600. We could turn around right now and resale the car for $3600 within a day. Since the $600 was maintenance, which all cars require, and not mechanical the Civic has not cost anything to drive. Except for gas, which is cheaper than the Protege because it gets 35MPG to my 27MPG. So it's been shown the Civic is just as quick, gets better gas mileage, and is cheaper to own than a Protege ..... ummm, quick! somebody remind me why I bought the Protege ..
As far as Consumer Reports, since you brought it up, the Civic has performed far better than the Protege. Especially impressive since the Civic has been the best selling small car in the US for a few years now. They sold 320,000 Civics in 2001 vs. maybe 60,000 Proteges. Even if 1% of all owners have problems there would be 3200 Civic owners complaining and only 600 Protege owners. And if you look at CR the Civic still has far fewer problems. I'm not trying to bash the Protege but trying to make the Pro look better than the Civic is pretty hard when you consider how many things the Civic has over the Pro. Don't get my wrong I love my car but I sure hate the fact that I write a $400 check out every month and he only puts gas in the Civic. But then again he does have a car note on his 94 Lexus??? for $350 a month .... with no problems with it either .... what the heck am I thinking???? Damn those impulse buys to hell....
As far as the Mazda presentation about the 626 ... it won awards in the late 80's? That's almost 20 years ago. The 90's and the 00's have been dominated by Honda and Toyota and for good reason. The 93+ 626's had major tranny problems thanks to Ford and the latest one offers less power, room, and features than it's competition. But hey they do have great financing deals on Mazdas .. just like Hyundais (but the Hyundai has a better warranty) Isuzu's, and Chryslers. Great company to be in.
Also, I don't follow baseball much, but it looks to me like most players are from Cuba or the Dominican Republic, etc, etc., not the States.
Anyway, enough of that...The dang buzzing is back on my passenger side. Driving me nuts. Anybody find a solution yet?
Respectfully,
Larry
I was wondering that yeterday when Larry said something about "another code showed up". Could it be a computer chip problem, not the solanoid? Chips are fragile things that can't take a lot of bumps and jolts, which is why I have doubts about using them in cars. And those computer diagnostic machines may not always work properly either.
If I was Larry I would get another opinion.
fowler3
TS-A6858 6x8
TS-A6999 6x9
Great bass (can feel my body being shaken when high enough). Good midrange. Excellent highs. No detectable distortion.
OK?
Meade
-Larry
Larry! Nobody's dissing you! We love you and your honesty!
But don't give up on your car!
--Dale
and
(b) your service manager would recognize that your car is only a smidgeon out of warranty and that you've had the same problem with another car, and try to make things right for you by either (1) seeking assistance from Mazda or (2) discounting the service.
Not that I think it's going to happen. If every 2000 Protege whose auto tranny came from that "parts bin" had a bad tranny after two years, we'd be hearing something here -- or at least seeing a LOT of complaints registered at the NHTSA site, and NHTSA would probably be opening an investigation on par with the one it just opened on the Tribute/Escape stalling problem.
My Mazda dealer, Whitten Brothers here in Richmond (which is one of three in the area and the best as far as I'm concerned) kept working on my 1994 B2300 pickup WAAAYYYYYY past its warranty expiration (until I sold it at 5 years/115,000 miles), treating my ongoing engine problem as if the vehicle was still under warranty. I was -- and still am -- a "preferred customer there" since I'm now on my fifth car from the dealership. And when they want to keep a valued customer, who will return and buy more of their cars, they'll bend the rules a little. They did with me, and since you have TWO, they should for you too.
Meade
Meade
Actually one is built in Sept and one in Oct.
:-)
I complain about the car I have now sometimes, because of a rattle here and there. But I like it alot, and am not going to be trading it because of that. You learn from dumb mistakes and trading cars too often (with high mileage to boot) is one dumb mistake. Believe me, I am there and did it.
Just talk to your dealer about the extended warranty, or else go to one of the internet websites and check on one. Alot of them will let you do a free quote. At least you can find out what it would cost. And don't despair. I know it makes you sad because a major part of the car went, but it happens. Defects happen all the time. If it happens more than once, then that would be a reason to trade the car in.
http://www.easycare.com/
Meade
Ron B.
But the way you are talking about another car, it looks like u have fallen in love with a new 2003 model....and inadvertently creating a mountain out of a molehill....
But honestly, I would go for the Extended warrantly if U still love your car.
But if have fallen for something else, there is nothing much we can do about it. Right?
But if you opt for option 2, we will surely miss you and your gentlemanliness on the Protege Form.
Oh geez....here we go again!
Guess you can have two..two..two times the fun. Better hurry before that second tranny goes in the dump.
Now, enough of my suggestions. I'll wait to hear what you decide to do.
Meade
Here are some non-horrifying stories. My little bro drives a 2000 626 4 cylinder automatic (the dreaded!). It has about 45000 miles on it. My dad used it as a commuter car in Chicago and fairly beat the crap out of it. It's still running flawlessly.
My mom drives a V6 Tribute with the same auto tranny. Her miles are fairly low but she's had no problems with it.
My dad drives the B2300 pickup that used to be mine. It's a 1997 model and has had no mechanical problems (Take that Meade...I still agree that it's a poor excuse for a vehicle though).
My Protege5 is creeping up on 5000 trouble free miles. Gas mileage is on the low side and I have a rattle somewhere near the passenger seat but those are hardly things to complain about.
Before the Tribute, my mom had two Mazda MPVs - one leased for 3 years and the other leased for 4 years. We had no problems with either of those.
Of course, my first car was a 1990 Pontiac Grand Am that needed a new transmission at just over 5 years old and 60000 miles. And the car my mom had before the first MPV was a Chevy Lumina, it had severe computer problems that almost left my family stranded on a road trip. Seems there's a reason we've now collectively owned 6 Mazdas.
rbrooks3: You can easily install front and rear speakers yourself if you have time, patience, and are not afraid to take a few things apart. Getting the doors apart is tricky but not impossible. The hardest part may very well be drilling holes to mount the new speakers if the existing holes on the door frame do not match the holes in your new speakers.
Confidential to Larry: Stick around a bit, all is not yet lost!
BTW, Rbrooks, did you see that link I posted about 20 posts up by now? It was some P5 link showing how to install stereo/speakers, full of detailed pics. Check it out.
Msg 265 applies to the rear speakers in a 99-00 sedan. You'll need to figure out the ISOFIX top latches for any vehicle so equipped.
Larry doesn't know what will happen with his PRO and thinking about a Tractor (I mean Tracker).
Meade and Paul's "differences" have died down, now that we have a "crisis" on our hands.
ZoomZoom79 is still trying to figure out why she bought a PRO. After all, the Civic has far superior gas mileage so nothing else matters.
Ron is looking at how to install his speakers. Sounds like a nice weekend project. Again, no pun intended as Meade would say.
MaltB notices a similarity b/w Larry's problem and Dale's windshield story from last week and doesn't agree with what Chikoo is suggesting: milking the dealer for "free" warranties, a can of touch-up paint, a new visor, lifetime oil chages, a new extra tranny to go, a car wash, a bag of chips, some candy, a toothpick, a new Tracker, free apetizer coupons at TGIF (actually that's the other way around)...
Dale: Scrutinizing the discussion and thinking critically about the issue ar hand, while echoing (sp?) the sentiments of many: WE LOVE YOU LARRY! DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR PRO!!!
Michael attempting to explain why Canada did a better job at the Olympics than the US using mathematical formulas, ratios, census numbers, probablity and data management techniques. Actually it's all about bragging rights as we all know.
Elec3 saying how great Mazdas are, even the 626 with its tranny and the Tribute with the stalling problem.
I certainly left some people out. Guess I'm confusing myself with this little wrap-upp of the last 5 hrs.
Cheers!~
Dinu
Great post buddy!
Meade
(No pun intended)
"A first grade teacher explains to her class that she is an American. She asks her students to raise their hands if they were American too.
Not really knowing why but wanting to be like their teacher, their hands explode into the air like flashy fireworks. There is, however, one exception. A girl named Kristen has not gone along with the crowd.
The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different. Because I am
not an American! "Then", asks the teacher, "what are you." I'm a proud
Canadian, boasts the little girl.
The teacher is a little perturbed now, her face slightly red. She asks
Kristen why she is a Canadian. Well, my mom and dad are Canadians, so I'm a Canadian too. The teacher is now really angry. That's no reason, she says loudly. What if your mom was a crappy hockey player, and your dad was a crappy hockey player. Would that
mean that you are a crappy hockey player too? A pause, and a smile.
Then, says Kristen, Nope! That would mean that I am an American.
As the Protege Turns? (I know, I can hear you all groaning from here...)
http://www.tirerack.com
http://discounttire.com
Read a few reviews, run a few comparisons. Combine that with what you hear here (purely anecdotal!) and what you need -in terms of your location, weather, driving conditions, driving needs etc.
Most people go with all season tires after their OEM high performance Bridgestone Potenzas (or Poortenzas - insider joke about how dangerous they are in wet conditions!) wear out.
I would imagine you should be able to get a set of four pretty nice Dunlops/Michelins for around $100-120 each or so, shipped, without sacrificing much (or any) performance compared to the OEM tires.
Good Luck!
Hey dinu: You forgot the more power and less expensive part. If you are really going to make a go as the Mazda Protege Newsletter Editor-in-Chief you gotta make sure you get all the little details. Oh yeah, and Larry said he was looking at a Corolla and a CR-V, not a Tracker/Tractor (although the Grand Vitara is pretty nice).
These are the days of our lives ....
(Sorry Larry, had to say it. No pun intended though.)
Did you know that Canada spent the grand total of CDN$16 million on it's athletes over the past four years combined. If you're doing the math, i think that's about $5.46 in US dollars.... *LOL*
Anyway, the US pumps hundreds of millions into the Olympic athletic programs. For Canada to get half the medals of the US is a huge accomplishment and speaks volumes on the dedication of our athletes since most of them have to take out huge personal loans just to pay for training and food etc.....
The games were great. The US put on a great show. Well, except in the gold medal hockey game, but hey, look who they were playing....:) Congrats on a job well done!!! The Olympics that is...not the hockey game. *lol*
Oh yeah, 2000 5spd, 1.8L, Black ES Protege. 39,000km. Not one problem, not one issue. Wife loves the car and i consider it by far the best car for the money in it's class. Just thougt i'd be topical and get that in there...
Where exactly do YOU fit into all of this?
Where do I fit? I'm just an innocent bystander waiting for a good topic to jump on
Sorry I missed the chat. Had to buy a camcorder for a presentation I'm giving tomorow.
I will not be keeping it, so don't ask me what model it is, if the battery "handles well" in snowy weather, if I chose the $30 warranty for an extra yr, if the display "tilts, telescopes, is powered or manually adjustable", if I got it in silver or black, if I bought extra tapes as an option, if I got the XYZ-plan "Don't pay for 90 days" promotion, if the salesperson accomodated my request for a thorough "test drive", if I was explained all features, if I like camcorders with spoilers or not, if I feel it hesitates when it's powered on after staying turned off for the night w/out being plugged in a block heater, if I feel the "nite lite" feature could be improved by installing a HID bulb, if I could get it to record a better quality tape by sticking "Made in Japan" stickers written in Japanese on it, etc...
NOTE: It is "Powered by JVC". I'm considering adding the Folgers' Double-Double aftermarket battery charger to it. Do you think I'll be able to get an extra minute out of stand-by time with it, or should I just get a stabilizer bar (aka tripod)?
Thanx,
Dinu
Hey dinu ... did you get 0.0% interest on that camera? And make sure that if you have a problem with it they give you a flat screen TV for free with a lifetime supply of DVD's and popcorn.